Ground Crew: Meet Christine Dodson & Sascha Mayer, Mamava Founders

Picture this: An overburdened mom dashes through a crowded airport, one hand holding onto a temperamental toddler and the other clutching the handle of an uncooperative suitcase. Suddenly, she hears a wail. It comes from the infant worn across her chest, who has just become hungry at exactly the wrong place and time. The waiting areas are crowded, the bathrooms unhygienic. Not one location in the whole airport seems like a friendly spot to breastfeed a baby.

Ten years ago, Burlington graphic designers Christine Dodson and Sascha Mayer came up with a creative solution to this all-too-familiar problem. Their company, Mamava, designs and builds portable "lactation suites," the first of which was installed in the Burlington International Airport. The suites provide clean, comfortable, private spaces for moms to breastfeed or operate a breast pump.

The suites have since spread nationwide, finding homes in airports, schools, hospitals and sports arenas from Boston, Mass., to Boise, Idaho — and that's just the beginning. Dodson and Mayer met with BTV in the original Mamava "pod" — which still stands in Burlington International's passenger terminal — to discuss the past, present and future of their pioneering company.

How do you describe Mamava to someone who's never heard of it?

CHRISTINE DODSON: Mamava is design solutions for nursing mothers on the go. The idea is a clean, quiet, comfortable, safe place to use a pump if you're traveling, or to sit down and have a quiet place to nurse.

What are the features of the suites, and what problems do they address?

CD: They were designed with food prep in mind, so the surfaces have no seams and are really easy to wipe down. They have tables that fold down and electric outlets. The newer ones have USB ports and mirrors.

SASCHA MAYER: We also have an [Americans With Disabilities Act]-compatible unit. All units have four lights and a vent, which is not so much for air circulation as for white noise. A pump does make noise, and people sometimes feel self-conscious about that.

But this is not about keeping pumping in the closet, which is sometimes what we get accused of. It just gives moms options. And if you have a toddler, especially in an airport, you want to contain your situation as much as you can. That was our personal experience as moms, and that's why airports and convention centers came to mind first for us. When you pump, you're very exposed. You're hooked up to an apparatus that needs electricity. So bathrooms were the choice, but, of course, bathrooms have the exact opposite function as feeding somebody. And we know that there are millions of particulates that go into the air every time a toilet is flushed.

How was Burlington International chosen to host the prototype?

SM: [Airport director of aviation Gene Richards] enabled us. He'd had passengers who had complained about not having accommodations, and we wanted to fix that. We said, "OK, we'll do it!" Burlington is a community that takes risks like that.

CD: [Richards] was the one who gave us the deadline and helped with the original prototype, which was literally built in his backyard. He's been a friend to Mamava from the very beginning.

Where have you placed Mamava suites?

SM: Airports are fabulous pollinators for the concept. Though the Milwaukee airport is not very large, it actually has four units. And those have led to the installation of suites at a pizza factory, at [Wisconsin lip balm company] Carmex, at the Milwaukee zoo and with the Minnesota Vikings.

CD: The [football team's chief operating officer] was traveling through the airport in Wisconsin and saw the suites there. Around the same time, he had a mom who was coming back to work, and she was inquiring about where she was going to pump. He tracked us down, and we flew out there. They installed two in their [temporary] stadium and one in their offices; now, in their new stadium, they'll be putting more in. They recognized the need to do the right thing with their female fan base.

Where else do you envision placing the suites?

CD: There's no market that's not being considered. Because of the Affordable Care Act [which requires businesses with more than 50 employees to provide private spaces for nursing mothers], companies need to be in compliance. So does the government! The Department of Defense, in particular, has the challenge of women in the military and trying to keep moms there. So they're doing what they can to keep female employees happy.

What do you call the Mamava logo?

SM: "Happy breasts." That's what it's all about it. Being proud, not hiding.

More By This Author

When entering the Archives, downtown Burlington's classic-game arcade, one of the first consoles you see is Tapper. The 1983 game, in which a bartender must keep up with his patrons' increasingly frenzied demands for beer, is an apt metaphor for the Archives' two raisons d'être: vintage video games and sudsy brews.

Comments

Comments are closed.

Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.

While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.

Latest in BTV Magazine

We're delighted to have you! BTV: The Burlington International Airport Quarterly is a bilingual magazine — translated into French for our Québécois visitors — that highlights Vermont's recreational, cultural and dining scenes according to the season.

You might not realize it from the hustle and bustle of downtown, the postwar suburban sprawl of the New North End, or the hip postindustrial South End, but Burlington is pretty wild. Like, Henry David Thoreau/Walden Woods kind of wild. Despite its urban trappings, Vermont's largest city hides a treasure trove of natural wonders. The trick is knowing where to find them.

"Farmers market" and "Vermont" are basically synonyms, right? The Green Mountain State is known for its cheese, its maple and its dedication to local food. And in Vermont's largest city, the Burlington Farmers Market is a community fixture. A trip to the market is a weekend ritual all season long.